1003. BURR'S (A.) TREASON, Strength of Government and. mdash; [continued].
Nothing has ever so
strongly proved the innate force of our form of
government, as this conspiracy. Burr had probably
engaged one thousand men to follow his
fortunes, without letting them know his projects,
otherwise than by assuring them that the government
approved them. The moment a proclamation
was issued, undeceiving them, he
found himself left with about thirty desperadoes
only. The people rose in mass wherever he
was, or was suspected to be, and by their own
energy the thing was crushed in one instant,
without its having been necessary to employ a
man of the military but to take care of their
respective stations.—
To Marquis de Lafayette. Washington ed. v, 130.
Ford ed., ix, 114.
(W.
July. 1807)
